Washing-machine



J. W. SEIFERT.

I WASHING MACHINE. 1,374,958. I APPLICATION FILEID FEB. 28, I920.Patented Apr. 19

2 SHEETSSHEET 4.

J. W. SEIFERT. WASHING MACHINE;

APPLICATION FILED FEB-28,1920.

Patented Apr. 19, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

- JOHN w. SEIFERT, or nousroiv, TEXAS.= I

WASHING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. 'Patented Apr. 19, 1921.

Application filed February 28, 1920. Serial No. 362,072.

To all whom may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. SEIFERT, a i

V citizen of the United States, residin at ouston, in the county ofHarris and tate of Texas, have invented new and useful ImprovementsinWashin'g-Machines, of which the'following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to wash-' ing machines, andparticularly to machines of the character disclosed in my copending.

application, Serial No. 815,622, 6,1919. I y

The primary object of the present inventionis to provide a clothescontaining basket of improved construction, which embodies relativelyfew parts, all of which are con structed and arranged in such manner asto minimize the possibility of thesame becomfiled August ing disorderedor deranged duringopera- 20 tion of the machine. 7

A further object of the invention is to pro vide means of an improvednature for supporting the clothes holding basket "within the machinecasingywhereby certain more or less complicated and expensive mechanismsshown in connection, with the above-mentioned copending application aredispensed with.

A still further object ofthe invention is to provide "a washing machineoperating upon the principle referred to which is easily actuated, whichgreatly increases agit ti'on,'both of water and clothes, with a minimumamount of energy expended, and which has its parts so constructed andassembled as to enable the same tobe readily disorganized when required.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination andarrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which: o v

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a washing machine constructed inaccordance with the invention, the dotted lines indicating the parts inthe position they will assume when removing clothes from the machine orapplying them thereto, 2:

Fig. 2 "is a fragmentarylongitudinal sec tion taken through the'machine,the latter being. in position to be operated, 1

,Figl 3 is a partial side elevation showing the operating handle lockedto the reciproeating arm,

- hingei'pins 17 at the ends of the basket 4 an end elevationof themachine, F1g. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially uponline 55 of Fig. 2, and

Flg. 6 is a' detail perspective view of one of the .T members. 1 i

Referring now more drawings, 10 indicates washing machine', sheet metalor'anyother preferred material, and this easing converges at its lowerend so as to form particularly to the a boiler portion 11. This the.casingof the the samebeing formed of boiler portion isprovided with anoutlet 12 to enable the water therein to be drawn-off when desired. Theboiler has associated therewith a firebox indicated generally at 13, bymeans of which the water in the boiler is heated, and an ashpit 14is'arranged beneath the firebox to receive ashes from the heater.

The casing, boiler, firebox and ashpit. may i be suitably made into'a'unitary structure,

and this structure is supported by the legs 15. The receptacle to holdthe clothes during the washing operation comprises a=foraminous basket16 of polygonal shape, and Proferably having foursides 16. This-holder.or basket is arranged withinthecasing and may be so operated as to becaused to con-.

tractor expand, whereby thorough agitation of the clothes within thebasket and the water within the boiler having ready access thereto isassured: This baskethasits sides hingedly connected as at 17 The basketis'so arranged within the casing that when in normal position (expanded)the lowerhingedly connected sides thereof will be at substan tia-lly a45 angle to the horizontal. The

ject beyond the same'and restin thehooked lower ends18 of arms 19pivoted-as at 20 to the side walls of the casin'g, and leaf springs 21within the casing bearagainst these arms and tend to'force them towardthe middle of p the casing. It is obvious from this construc' tion thatif downward pressure is applied to the upperpart ofthe basket,thetendency of the basket to" ofthe said upper sides moveinto horizontalalinement will cause the endsofthe basket to move outward or towardtheends of the casing. This movement is permitted by reason of the factthat the said basket; ends are supported by the swinging arms 19, andsuch'movement of the basket ends will be resisted by i the leaf springs21. These leaf springs, willtend to 19 will engage therewith.

force the basket to normal or expanded position when pressure upon thebasket has been relieved.

The upper sides of the basket may be left open if desired, while thelower sides are provided with longitudinal and transverse slats asshown, to properly support the clothes and to prevent them droppingthrough into the boiler.

To limit the inward movement of the basket ends, vertical strips 22 arearranged upon the inner sides of the casing in proper spaced relation,and these strips are so positioned that when the basket has reached themaximum of its expanded position, the hinge pins 17 or the hooked ends18 of arms These strips therefore act as stops to limit the expandingaction of the basket, andalso act as guides for the protruding hingepins when the basket is lifted from or applied to the casing.

. The means provided for causing the basket to alternately contract andexpand includes a T member indicated at 23, which extends into thebasket and moves vertically within the guide 24. The upper end of thebasket is pivoted between a pair of these T members, one of which isarranged at each side of the casing. The T member is provided with ahorizontally disposed channel 25 within which a slatted closure 26 isengaged. The upper extremities of the T members are pivotally connectedto a transversely disposed rod 27 and it is obvious from thisconstruction that the T members at the opposing sides of the casingwillmove in 11I11SOI1.

Upon the exterior of each side of the'casing there is pivotally mountedan operating lever 28, the latter'being pivoted inwardly from their endsas at29 to a suitable sup port carried by the casing or the frame, and

the lower end of each'lever is provided in its forward face with a notchportion 30 adapted to engage apin 31 at the lower end of an arm 32extending vertically up the adjacent side of the casing. The upper endsof the arms 32 pivotally support the protruding ends of the crossconnecting member 27 of the T members 23. The levers 28 are providedabove their pivot points with notch portions 33 to engage around pins34upon thearms 32, and these latter named notch portions havecooperating therewith leaf members 35, each of which has arrangedtherein an opening to engage over the protruding end of pin 34 when thesaid leaf members are swung inwardly. It is i that when the levers 28are moved for? wardly so that the notch portions 33 therein are engagedwith the upper pins 34-upon the operating arms, the leaf members 35 maybe swung inwardly so that the openings therein will receive the saidpins,

ina

obvious, therefore, 8

and maintain a positive connection between the operating levers 28 andarms 32, and reciprocatory movement of the said levers will cause theoperating arms and the basket supported by the shaft connecting them toreciprocate in a vertical direction. The upper ends of levers 28 areconnected by a rod 36. With the operating mechanism adjusted to theposition described, the washing machineis ready for operation. Up anddown movement applied to levers 28 will cause the arms 32 tocorrespondingly move, whereby the T members which depend from theconnectingv rod 27 will also reciprocate vertical direction. 'Thisreciprocatory movement causes the basket to alternately contract andexpand, as will be readily un- .derstood. I

tinued rearward swinglng movement of the levers will then cause theoperating arms 32 andsthe basket carried thereby 'to be moved upwardlyout of engagementlwith Obviously,

the water within the casing. To facilitate maintaining the leversin-positionwith the basket controlled thereby in raised or aecessibleposition, "supporting or locking.

means are employed Such means comprises the laterally slidable bars 43at one end of the casing, and the inner ends of these bars'are pivotedto the opposing endsof the oscillating locklever member 44 pivotedintermediate its ends tothe casing'as at'45.

The bars 43 are confined within the guide straps 46 carriedby thecasing,.and it will be observed that oscillation of the lever member 44willcausethe ends of:the. bars 43 to be advanced or retracted. When thelevers 28Hare swung to their extreme rearward position they will passdownwardly beyond the plane ofthe bars 43', and operation of the lever44 will then cause the 'ex-. tremities of these bars of the operatinglevers 28. These levers arethus locked 'in such: position that. the-basket within the casing will be in lifted or raised position; 4

As means washing machine casing, andalso .as supporting; means ing arms19, strap members 47 are employed. These strap members are riveted or inany other manner secured to the casing sides, in such position that thepivots for the swingfor reinforcing the sides of the forthe pivots ofthe swing,- 1

ing arms pass therethrough and are firmly supported.

By constructing the basket in the manner specified it is obvious thatalternate expanding and contracting action therein will cause thoroughagitation of the water within the boiler and also of the articlesconfined within the basket. The basket may be easily lifted from thecasing when it is desired, and the guide members 22 will limit themovement of the pins 17 connecting the ends of the basket so as toprevent collapsing of the basket during such operation.

As the invention in the present instance resides in the specificconstruction and arrangement of the basket and its supporting means, itis obvious that it is not restricted to the use of the specific type ofoperating mechanism shown basket may be additionally used in connectionwith machines employing different forms of agitating or operatingmechanisms.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim 1. In a washingmachine, a casing, arms pivoted in spaced relation in said casing,apolygonal basket in said casing, hinge pins connecting the various sidesand mentioned, as the of said basket,

certain of the said pins being supported by the free ends of said arms,means normally forcing said arms inwardly, and means for expanding orcollapsing said basket.

2. In a washing machine, a casing, a rectangular basket arranged withinsaid casing, hinge pins connecting the sides of said basket, swingingarms pivoted within said casing and supporting at their free endscertain ofthe said hinge pins, a reciprocating member, a connectionbetween one of the hinge pins and said reciprocating mem- Eer, and meansfor reciprocating said mem- 3. In a washing machine, a casing, apolygonal collapsible basket within said casing, hinge pins connectingthe sides of said basket, swinging arms within the said casing,the saidarms supporting certain of the hinge pins of said basket, springs withinsaid casing tending to force said arms toward each other, guide stripswithin said casing limiting the inward swinging movement of said arms, areciprocating member, and a connection between one of the hinge pins ofsaid basket and said reciprocating member.

In testimony whereof I afiix m s1 ature.

JOHN W. SllIF RT.

